Facebook has unveiled a fresh platform to bring the most remote communities in the world – the web and it can fit inside a shoebox.

Up to now, OpenCellular enables voice calling, along with the sending and receiving of SMS messages and 2G information that is fundamental connectivity. The technology system can apparently handle extreme weather to serve individuals in as diverse surroundings around the world as possible.

At the end of 2015, 4 billion people still didn’t have access to the web, based on the Facebook engineer who printed the platform’s start page, Kashif Ali. Ten percent of the worldwide population was still residing beyond the range of cellular connectivity, he included.

Facebook intends to make layouts for the technology open source. In the wireless sector itself isn’t only whilst the social media giant, through OpenCellular it means to start a business environment in which bigger internet providers can be challenged by smaller operators by bringing connectivity to rural communities.

Martin Garner of investigation business CCS Insight, told CNBC via e-mail: “Facebook has lots of development alternatives with its own services and does not aspire to doing the job of network operators.
But, Facebook’s attempts to enter emerging markets – such as those in areas of India or Africa – have been criticized before. A previous effort called for the ill fated web bundle Free Principles in India, which was not popular for the monopoly India’s telecommunication’s regulator empowered the business and its associates, and efficiently blocked it.

“Facebook’s moves in the telecoms world are consistently seen with suspicion,” Garner said. “Once it’s open-sourced, OpenCellular will triumph if it can stand on its value as a technical strategy, rather than being viewed as a Facebook initiative.”